Neptune Islands · Australia · Pelagic & blue water
South Neptune Islands
Sea lion haul-outs below the old Lighthouse Island light
Area photo: Bmh ca · CC BY-SA 3.0
The South Neptune Islands sit 38.9 km south-south-east of Cape Catastrophe, 9 km beyond the northern group on the same edge of the continental shelf. Australian sea lions use them as haul-out areas and New Zealand fur seals are common across the group, and the southern island, Lighthouse Island, carried a working light for most of the twentieth century.
Also known as Lighthouse Island.
Where it is and how deep
35.3375° S, 136.1174° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The run out is the same one that serves the northern group, by boat from Port Lincoln, with the two island groups 9 km apart on the southern aspect of the continental shelf. The southern group is the more even of the two in height: the northern island stands 35 m, the southern one, Lighthouse Island, 37 m, and together they cover 2.02 km2. Water of 80 m is reached within 1.5 to 2 km of the southern group, so the drop-off is close by.
Cage work here follows the pattern of the island group as a whole: shark cage diving is conducted at a number of sites within the two protected areas around each of the two groups of islands, and since 2002 the Neptunes have been the only place in Australia where the activity is legally permitted. Cages are either moored at the surface, with the floor at 2 m, or lowered to the seabed at 18 m. The draw on the southern islands is the pinnipeds: Australian sea lions use the South Neptunes as haul-out areas rather than as the breeding colony the northern group holds, and New Zealand fur seals and sea lions are common on all of the islands, breeding across the group.
Background
A light has been part of these islands since 1901, when the tower from the Port Adelaide Entrance light was relocated to South Neptune Island; it was eventually replaced by a small brick tower in 1985 and converted to automatic operation in 1990. A separate 12 m tower on the largest island in the southern group was lit in 1983 and removed in 2002-2003. During the Second World War a naval depot with huts, observation towers and a gun that was regularly fired was established on the island. Part of the group was proclaimed a fauna conservation reserve on 16 March 1967 and has been inside the Neptune Islands Group (Ron and Valerie Taylor) Marine Park since 29 November 2012.
Marine life and season
- Seals & sea lions
- Great whites
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good |
May to October is rated best for great white sightings, followed by the seal breeding season from November to February; sightings are possible year-round.
Know before you go
- Do not extend any part of your body outside the cage or attempt to touch a shark; the animals pass along the bars within arm's reach.
Dive videos
A 4-meter male great white shark approaches the bottom cage at the South Neptune Islands · Alessandro De Maddalena on YouTube
Questions divers ask
What is there to see at the South Neptune Islands?+
Australian sea lions haul out on the southern group and New Zealand fur seals are common across all the Neptune Islands, breeding there. Great white sharks are the reason cage boats work the island group, which since 2002 has been the only place in Australia where cage diving is legally permitted.
Why is it called Lighthouse Island?+
The southern island of the group carried a light from 1901, when the tower from the Port Adelaide Entrance light was moved there. It was replaced by a small brick tower in 1985 and automated in 1990.
How deep is the diving at the South Neptune Islands?+
Cage dives run either at the surface, with the cage floor at 2 m, or with the cage lowered to the seabed at 18 m. Beyond the islands themselves, water of 80 m is reached within 1.5 to 2 km of the southern group.
Sources
- Neptune Islands — Wikipedia
- Neptune Islands Conservation Park — Wikipedia
- Shark cage diving at the Neptune Islands — Wikivoyage
- Diving in South Australia — Wikivoyage
- South Neptune Island Lighthouse — Wikipedia
In The Logbook
- Where to dive with seals and sea lionsBig animals · 17 min read
- Where to dive with tiger, bull and white sharksBig animals · 14 min read
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